Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. was a gaming company headquartered in Creve Coeur,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Greater St. Louis Greater St. Louis is a bi-state metropolitan area that completely surrounds and includes the independent city of St. Louis, the principal city. It includes parts of both Missouri and Illinois. The city core is on the Mississippi Riverfront on t ...

which operated

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

s and associated entertainment and lodging facilities in the United States. It operated 15 casinos in seven states across the U.S., Isle of Capri properties have nearly 13 million visitors each year. These properties have a total of about 14,000

slot machine A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively a ...

s, 350 table games, 2,300 hotel rooms; and three dozen restaurants.

History

The company was founded in 1990 by Bernard Goldstein as Kana Corporation. In April 1992, it was renamed Anubis II Corporation. In June 1992, it was renamed again to Casino America, Inc. and began trading on the NASDAQ under the

ticker symbol A ticker symbol or stock symbol is an abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. In short, ticker symbols are arrangements of symbols or characters (generally Latin letters ...

CSNO. In 1995 it announced a move to trade to the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...

but that did not happen. In September 1998, it became Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. and changed its ticker symbol to "ISLE." The company opened its first casino on August 1, 1992, as a publicly traded corporation. Goldstein was known as the "grandfather of riverboat gaming since he owned the first riverboat casino to sail on the Mississippi River. Goldstein's first casino operations were in the Quad City area of Iowa and Illinois, where Goldstein operated the riverboats Diamond Lady and the Emerald Lady under the corporate name Steamboat Casino Cruises. The two boats, which sailed from

Bettendorf, Iowa Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. It is the 15th largest city of Iowa and the third-largest city in the "Quad Cities". It is part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The popu ...

on April 1, 1991, were two of the first modern

riverboat casino A riverboat casino is a type of casino on a riverboat found in several states in the United States with frontage on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, or along the Gulf Coast. Several states authorized this type of casino in order to en ...

s. Isle of Capri Casinos opened its first casino in

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...

in August 1992, and was the first gaming establishment to trade on the

NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market () (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the US by volume, and ranked second ...

. In 2000, Isle of Capri spent $400 million in a multi-part deal to acquire the Lady Luck chain of casinos.

Lady Luck Gaming Lady Luck Gaming Corp. was a gambling, gaming company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, that developed and operated casinos in the Midwestern and Southern United States, Southern United States. It was acquired by Isle of Capri Casinos in 2000. History ...

, which owned two adjacent Lady Luck casinos in Lula, Mississippi, one in

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

, the Miss Marquette casino in

Marquette, Iowa Marquette is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 429 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 421 in 2000. The city, which is located on the Mississippi River, is named after Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette, who ...

, and a half interest in the Lady Luck casino in

, was bought for $59 million in cash, $177 million in assumed debt, and $22 million to redeem preferred stock. On the same day, Isle of Capri bought the other half of the Bettendorf property from Goldstein's family for $62 million, and the rights to the Lady Luck trademark from Lady Luck's founder, Andrew Tompkins, for $31 million. Six months later, it completed the purchase of the

Lady Luck Hotel & Casino The Downtown Grand, formerly the Lady Luck, is a hotel and casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, owned by CIM Group and operated by Fifth Street Gaming. The Downtown Grand is the centerpiece of Downtown3rd, a new neighborhood and entertainment d ...

in downtown Las Vegas from Tompkins for $14.5 million. The Las Vegas property was sold two years later to a group of real estate investors. The other Lady Luck properties were all rebranded under the Isle of Capri name. In 2005, its Biloxi casino (but not its hotel) was destroyed and its Lake Charles facilities were damaged by Hurricanes

Katrina Katrina or Katrine may refer to: People * Katrina (given name) * Katrine (given name) Meteorology * List of storms named Katrina, a list of tropical cyclones designated as Katrina ** Hurricane Katrina, an exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurrican ...

and

Rita Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...

, respectively. In August 2006, Isle of Capri Casinos moved its headquarters from Biloxi to

Creve Coeur, Missouri Creve Coeur is a city located in mid St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, a part of Greater St. Louis. Its population was 18,834 at the 2020 census. Creve Coeur borders and shares a ZIP code (63141) with the neighboring city of Town and ...

, a suburb of St. Louis. Missouri had offered $4.2 million in tax incentives to lure the operation. 150 employees moved with the headquarters. Company officials said they were looking for new headquarters after evacuating their building three times in 2004–05 due to hurricanes. On February 14, 2006, Isle of Capri sold the Isle of Capri Bossier City and Isle of Capri Vicksburg to Legends Gaming for $240 million. The properties are now known as " Diamond Jack's". The company competed for a gambling license in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

in 2006, offering $290 million toward the construction of a new arena for the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

as an incentive and thus drawing enormous public support in Pittsburgh. The

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, founded in 2004 as the state licensing and the regulatory agency responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in the state. The ...

nevertheless awarded the license to PITG Gaming Majestic Star instead, who was required to partially fund the building of the new arena, the

Consol Energy Center PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2 ...

. On March 19, 2007, Isle of Capri purchased Casino Aztar in

Caruthersville, Missouri Caruthersville is a city in and the county seat of Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States, located along the Mississippi River in the Bootheel region of the state's far southeast. The population was 5,562, according to the 2020 census. Histo ...

from

Columbia Sussex Columbia Sussex is a privately owned hotel company based in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The company, owned by the Yung family, owns and operates hotels in various parts of the United States. The current president and founder is William J. Yung III. ...

for about $45 million. In April, 2007 the Company opened the Isle Casino & Racing at

Pompano Park Harrah's Pompano Beach, formerly Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park and Pompano Park, is a standardbred harness racing track and casino in Pompano Beach, Florida. It is billed as "The Winter Home of Harness Racing," as its tropical South Florida l ...

Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2020 ...

. On July 1, 2007, Isle of Capri opened a new property in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

. In 2008, the company adopted a two-brand strategy, reviving the Lady Luck name for smaller properties with limited amenities, while keeping the Isle of Capri name for properties with full-service facilities like hotel rooms, convention space, and expanded dining options. The Marquette and Caruthersville casinos were the first to be rebranded as Lady Luck properties. In June 2010, Isle of Capri bought the Rainbow Casino in

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

from

Bally Technologies Bally Technologies, Inc. is an American manufacturer of slot machines and other gambling technology based in Enterprise, Nevada. It is owned by Light & Wonder. The company was founded in 1968 as Advanced Patent Technology. It eventually changed i ...

for $80 million. The property was re-branded Lady Luck Casino in 2012. On December 1, 2010, the Missouri Gaming Commission awarded the company the state's 13th gaming license for a casino project in Cape Girardeau. The casino includes 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games, 3 restaurants, a lounge and terrace overlooking the Mississippi River and a 750-seat event center at an estimated cost of $125 million. On April 14, 2011, Isle of Capri and

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Nemacolin (formerly known as Nemacolin Woodlands Resort) is a four seasons resort in Farmington, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The resort is owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, president of the 84 Lumber Company, and was founded by her father, Joseph H ...

were selected as the recipients of Pennsylvania's last casino resort license by the state's gaming board. Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin is expected to include 600 slot machines, 28 table games, a casual dining restaurant and lounge. On October 30, 2012, Isle Casino Cape Girardeau opened to the public. In November 2012, Isle of Capri sold the Isle Casino Hotel Biloxi to Landry's Inc. for $45 million. On July 1, 2013, Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin opened to the public. On February 3, 2014, the Company completed the sale of its Davenport, Iowa casino to Scott County Casino LLC. On October 18, 2015, the Company closed their Natchez, MS riverfront casino due to low patronage. The Isle of Capri hotel was sold to Natchez competitor Magnolia Bluffs Casino. On March 13, 2017, the Company sold Lady Luck Marquette to the Casino Queen based in Swansea, Illinois. On May 1, 2017, the acquisition by

Eldorado Resorts Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corporat ...

, previously announced on September 19, 2016, was completed.

Properties

The properties owned and operated by Isle of Capri Casinos at the time of its acquisition were: * Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf —

* Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk —

Black Hawk, Colorado Black Hawk is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 127 at the 2020 United States Census, making Black Hawk the least populous city (rather than town) in Colorado. The tiny city is a ...

* Isle Casino Cape Girardeau —

Cape Girardeau, Missouri Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citie ...

* Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo —

* Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park —

* Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Boonville —

Boonville, Missouri Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated the Missouri Stat ...

* Isle of Capri Casino Kansas City —

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

* Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles —

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lula An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

— Lula, Mississippi * Lady Luck Casino Black Hawk —

Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville Century Casino Caruthersville, formerly Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville, is a riverboat casino and hotel in Caruthersville, Missouri. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Century Casinos. The riverboat is named ''City of Caruthersville'' ...

—

* Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin —

Farmington, Pennsylvania Farmington is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Wharton Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 40, the National Road, about southeast of Pittsburgh, and is the closest sett ...

* Lady Luck Casino Vicksburg —

Former

Properties previously owned by the company include: * Enchanted Capri casino cruise ship, sailing out of

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

* Isle Casino Coventry —

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

* Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Biloxi —

* Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Bossier City —

Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City ( ) is a city in Bossier Parish in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana in the United States. It is the second most populous city in the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan statistical area. In 2020, it had a ...

* Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Tunica —

Tunica, Mississippi Tunica is a town in and the county seat of Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s when casino gambling was introduced in the area, Tunica had been one of the most impoverished places in the Uni ...

Isle of Capri Casino at Our Lucaya An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

—

Lucaya, Bahamas Lucaya is a suburb of Freeport, Bahamas, a city on the island of Grand Bahama, approximately 105 mi (160 km) east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lucaya's primary industry is tourism. Major hotels and attractions in the resort ...

* Isle of Capri Casino Vicksburg —

—

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

* Lady Luck Casino Marquette —

* Rhythm City Casino Resort —

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

References

External links

Isle of Capri: Corporate Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isle Of Capri Casinos American companies established in 1990 American companies disestablished in 2017 1990 establishments in Missouri 2017 disestablishments in Missouri Gambling companies established in 1990 Gambling companies disestablished in 2017 Companies based in St. Louis County, Missouri Gambling companies of the United States Hospitality companies of the United States 1992 initial public offerings 2017 mergers and acquisitions